


(Lead) By Example

by JessicaMDawn



Category: Smallville
Genre: Abusive Lionel Luthor, Aliens love Warrior Angel too, Canonical Character Death, Clark Kent Older Than Lex Luthor, Heroes, I'd like to formally apologize to Batman, Lex loves Warrior Angel, Lex names the Justice League, M/M, Oliver Queen is a bully, Saving the World, The Justice League, Younger Lex, a single act of kindness can change the world, older Clark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-06 11:37:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11035422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessicaMDawn/pseuds/JessicaMDawn
Summary: When he was nine, Lex Luthor was saved by a mysterious teen with green eyes in Smallville. At twelve, Lex runs away from home and meets Clark Kent in Metropolis. On the cusp of adulthood, Lex learns of the hero called Superman. Every time their lives cross, they are changed irrevocably.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song An Act of Kindness by Bastille, and the beginning quote by Christopher Reeve, the original on-screen Superman.

_I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. – Christopher Reeve_

…

…

In the year 1989, a little town in the middle of Kansas named Smallville was known for producing high quality corn products. Fresh from the stalk. Creamed corn. Canned corn. Animal feed. Ethanol. Cornstarch. Anything that couldn't be made at the minor factories of Smallville was processed elsewhere but made from Smallville corn. They were very proud of their corn.

Then a meteor shower struck the town, the most devastating on record in the United States.

Entire fields went up in flames, the factories were damaged or destroyed, and many businesses and buildings that had been in families for generations were gone in a flash, as were many of the inhabitants of the town.

Rather than let the devastation defeat them, the Smallvillians simply rebuilt. And a family by the name of Kent adopted a son, a child found wandering in the smoking fields after the meteors hit. No one ever found his birth parents. And he grew up there, in Smallville, with the Kents as his loving parents.

But that was all something Lex would learn later, much later. Why would he care what happened three years before he was born?

…

…

Visiting Smallville with his father was probably a punishment. That's what Lex decided while they were in the helicopter, flying over fields and forests and corn. His father was punishing him. Why else did they take the helicopter instead of a car?

"Stop shutting your eyes, Lex! Luthors are not afraid!"

Except he was afraid. Lex hated heights. His father knew this.

It took every ounce of Lex's willpower not to jump from the helicopter and puke as soon as they touched down. Instead, he moved inconspicuously to the side and took a long pull from his inhaler. A weak son, who needed help just to breathe. A coward. How was this boy a Luthor?

Lex watched his dad sweet talk the factory owners for awhile, really he did. Ostensibly this trip was so Lex could see how a Luthor acquired a new business. So Lex did as he was told. He watched. He watched his father promise the owners of the creamed corn factory a lot of money, from him and in future profits if they worked together. He watched them stand around in the midday Kansas sun and talk. And talk.

He was nine and he was bored.

His gaze drifted to the corn fields all around them. The factory stood in front of him, the parking lot-cum-helicopter pad stood behind, but everywhere else was just corn. As far as Lex could see, more and more corn. Lex had never seen corn that wasn't already on his plate to be eaten before.

There was a strange whooshing noise and the corn moved. It wasn't just the wind either. In the distance, Lex saw a clear cut through the corn as something – something fast and big – rushed through. The stalks stood upright again a few moments later, but Lex knew what he'd seen.

There was something in the corn fields.

Lex looked at his father and the factory owners, but they were caught up in each other and not paying him any mind. Then he quietly walked to the fence that kept the corn in the field and not in the parking lot and cautiously climbed over it. Within a few feet, all Lex could see was corn. It was a bit scary to not be able to see around you, but he moved on, even with his heart pounding.

"H-hello?" he asked, voice shaking.

No response.

He knew he was headed toward where he'd seen the corn move. Or rather, where he'd seen the corn moving _towards_. There was no point going where it had been. Whatever had moved the corn would be gone from there by now.

"Hello?" he called again, slightly less shaky and louder, as he got further into the corn.

Mid-day turned to evening in the blink of an eye. Lex turned to the sky and saw what had to be dozens, no, over a hundred meteors raining down. They were large, dark masses that crowded out the sun, on fire from their trip through the atmosphere.

"Dad," Lex breathed out. Then again, "Dad!"

If his eyes weren't being fooled, there was a meteor headed straight for this field. Lex turned and stumbled back toward the factory, but he was slow compared to the falling, blazing rock. He could hear the rumble of its approach, louder and louder, and the impacts of meteors all around, somewhere out of his view. The sound of a car alarm sounded from far away.

Lex tripped over his own two feet, or in a hole in the ground, what did it matter. He hit the ground with a sharp cry, both from pain and from terror. Turning over, Lex watched the meteor fall down upon him.

And then suddenly his vision was overtaken by green eyes. "I've got you."

The world exploded around him.

…

…

Smallville Regional Medical Center was not Metropolis General Hospital. It was smaller, the walls were creamier colored, and louder. Well, the noise and activity level were probably because of the meteor shower that had just half leveled the town, but it still made for a lot of chaos that Lex wasn't prepared to handle.

He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a small whine of noise, curling up on his bed. He wasn't injured, the doctors said. He wasn't hurt. No one could tell them why he'd lost all his hair. And though he had no headache, no aches on his body at all, the world simply felt like too much. It was too much sound, too much light, too much action. Too much. Too much.

He opened his mouth to call for his dad, but no sound came out.

Whimpering again, Lex wondered if he'd get in trouble for pulling the covers over his head, or if he got out of the bed entirely to hide underneath it. His dad was being really really nice to him, considering the circumstances, but Lex still wasn't sure if that kind of behavior was acceptable.

"-fine. I bet all it takes is a shower and a night's sleep."

Lex opened his eyes as the familiar voice drifted in through his open door. That was the voice of the man who'd…who'd saved him. Lex didn't know how the guy had done it, but he'd sheltered Lex. In that field of corn, the teen with the green eyes had covered Lex's body just before the meteor landed on them, and somehow….they were alive.

"I don't know. You've never been this weak before," a woman said in concern. Lex saw her enter the view through the window and open door. Red hair and pale skin, just like Lex's own mom, but in a way that hinted at small town grace rather than uptown poise.

There was a sandy haired, sun tanned man with her, pushing a wheelchair, and in the wheelchair was a young teen with shaggy dark hair, broad shoulders, and legs too long for the chair.

"We'll figure it out, Martha," the man said. "Like we always do. Together."

Lex sat up in his bed as they passed out of sight. The teen spoke again while their voices were lost in the din of noise coming from the rest of the hospital. "It's a weird feeling, being so weak, but I don't know, mom, I don't think it's permanent. And who knows, maybe I'll be even stronger after this. I think-"

Lex was still staring at the hallway beyond his door when Lionel Luthor strode in. His face was stormy upon entry but lightened, with visible effort, upon seeing Lex sitting up.

"Son! How are you feeling?" he asked, coming over to wrap Lex in his arms for a hug.

For a few moments, Lex's mouth opened and shut without a sound. His dad pulled away and watched him, clearly not sure if he should be upset at the lack of voice or not, at this sign of weakness. But the strange teen's words were still ringing in Lex's ears. Lex was weak right now, but it wasn't permanent.

"W-who…," he managed, and his throat felt sore with it. "Who saved me?"

Lionel shook his head, still holding Lex by the shoulders as if worried Lex would collapse without them for support. "It's a miracle you're not dead, Lex. You were lucky. Hell, even the helicopter was destroyed in the shower."

Shaking his head a little, Lex asked, a bit more earnestly. "No. The, the guy with me…in-in the field. He saved me. Who…was he, dad?"

"I didn't make it a point to find out," Lionel told him. "Getting you to safety was more important. Now, how do you feel?"

Lex's eyes trailed down to his hands in his lap. Dad hadn't given the other guy a spare thought. That shouldn't have been surprising, but it still hurt. Lex had so many questions. How had they survived? Was the other guy okay? He'd been in a wheelchair, so he must've been hurt, but he didn't seem upset about it. How did he do that? And did he know what had made the corn move, just before the meteors fell? Had he seen it before he'd come to Lex's aid?

"Lex?"

Lifting his eyes again, Lex nodded. He hummed out a positive answer, that he was okay, but didn't say another word.

…

…

"Did you know all your friends only like you because they think you have cancer?"

Lex narrowed his eyes at the young, blonde man across from him. "No they don't, Oliver."

They were sitting in a library in the Queen family mansion in Star City. Oliver Queen, twelve years old and feeling superior, was leaning on the rolling ladder against the wall, looking at a book. He wasn't actually reading the book, though. It was hard to read a book that was in Latin, even for Lex, especially when it was upside down. Lex himself had the latest issue of Warrior Angel in his hands.

"Yes they do," Oliver said, like this whole conversation was an afterthought. "They told me so."

Lex was doing his best to give all his attention to his comic, but Oliver was being supremely distracting. "You don't even know my friends."

Oliver attended a prep school, Excelsior Academy, on the east coast. One day, Lex would probably join him there. For now, Lex simply attended a private school in Metropolis. There was no way Oliver knew his friends, few though they were.

"Allison Carver. Jeremy Mackelson. Nelson Rudgers," Oliver listed lazily, flipping a page in the book.

Lex's fingers stiffened on his comic book. No. How did Oliver know those names? And if he knew those names, did he really know Lex's friends? And if he did, did Lex's friends really only put up with him because they thought he had cancer? Was Oliver right?

"They think you're dying."

"I-I told them about the-"

"That's how they think you got cancer," Oliver said dispassionately, shutting the book and setting it aside, not in its proper spot. He met Lex's gaze. "Everyone knows those meteors were radioactive."

Lex was shaking. The Warrior Angel comic was crinkling slightly in his hands, though he did his best to hold it still. He glanced at the door to the library. Their parents were busy with meetings about something or other. That's why they'd been left alone together. What if Lex-

Scoffing, Oliver asked, "What? Gonna go run to your daddy?" he teased cruelly. "Because someone finally told you the truth?"

Softly, Lex said, "You don't know the truth."

The truth was that no one looked at Lex the same way anymore. He was ten, and he only had three people that he might be able to call friends. Everyone else stared at Lex like…like…well, like he was dying of cancer. They treated him like glass, if they were an adult, or treated him like shit, if they weren't.

The truth was that, even with three people who treated him like he was normal – or as normal as the son of a billionaire businessman could be, Lex was a pariah. He knew two languages fluently and was learning a third. He could tell when a classmate's family was about to go bankrupt before they did. He excelled in math and reading and science, and often couldn't help but try and correct the teachers when they got something wrong, which just ended up with him in trouble. He was no good at the arts, at piano or guitar or singing or painting, but everyone else at the school was at least passable at one of those, if not more. He was the dying, billionaire, talentless genius; the know-it-all who couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"I know that you like that stupid comic because the hero's bald, just like you," Oliver snapped, coming over and snatching the comic from Lex's hands.

"Hey!" Lex cried out, standing up. "Give that back!"

Lex had paid for that with his own money, earned by doing small jobs for his mother. It was his first personal purchase.

Oliver waved the comic around in the air, just too high for Lex to grab it back. Lex cursed being short, reaching for the comic with all his might and failing. After a few tries, he stopped, realizing that he looked pathetic. Luthors don't look pathetic. Luthors don't show how you've upset them. Luthors don't let others take their things. Luthors don't-Luthors don't-

"Aw, gonna cry, baldy?" Oliver sneered. He held open the comic and read from it. "Don't worry, I've got you. No harm will come to you as long as I'm around." He scoffed. "I can't believe you like this garbage."

Then, before Lex could reply, Oliver ripped the comic in two, and then four, before letting the scraps fall to the library floor. Lex's heart stopped in his chest. Heat burned behind his eyes, his face screwing up with the effort not to cry, and he clenched his fists. Oliver noticed everything.

"Gonna cry? Or are you gonna punch me?" he asked, derision in every word. "Go ahead. Take a swing. I bet I don't even bruise. I bet you're as weak as everyone thinks you are, Cancer Boy."

Lex wasn't a fighter. Anyone could look at him and know that. He was so small, hadn't had a growth spurt like Oliver. And he'd never taken any sort of martial art, not even for defense or exercise purposes. Lex knew that if he threw a punch at Oliver, Oliver would punch back, and when Lionel found out about it he would be disappointed. It wouldn't be disappointment that Lex fought someone else. It would disappointment that Lex hadn't won, that Lex had let someone else bruise him, that Lex's failures as a Luthor were so clearly on display.

So instead of fighting, Lex turned and hurried from the room. He would've liked to say he didn't run away, but it would be a lie. He ran down the hallway, to the back door of the mansion, and out into the gardens. Oliver didn't like the gardens, or the outdoors at all, so he wouldn't follow Lex here. Lex ran until he found a secluded area, under the shade of a tree to keep the sun off his head, and then collapsed into the grass.

He gasped, unused to running so far, and rolled over onto his back. The sun was shining down through the leaves, creating a dappled effect on everything it touched. It was calming, but only insomuch as it allowed Lex to let his tears out rather than hold them in.

Warrior Angel wouldn't have run away. Warrior Angel was strong and saved people. No one thought he was weak or worthy of bullying just because he was bald. Why couldn't Lex be strong like that? Why was Lex such a weakling?

" _Being so weak, I don't think it's permanent. And who knows, maybe I'll be even stronger after this."_

It didn't take a superhero to be strong, and good, and save people. The guy who'd saved Lex during the meteor shower wasn't a superhero with super powers – or maybe he was, who knew – but he'd been brave and good. If Lex could be brave and good like the guy who'd saved him…maybe he'd become stronger too. Maybe he could become strong enough to make his baldness not matter.

Maybe he could be a hero too.

…

…

"Where is it?" Lionel demanded. Lex shook his head mutely. "WHERE IS IT?!"

"Father, I—"

Lionel advanced on Lex, and it was only a moment later that Lex found himself stumbling to the side from the force of the slap. "You've been going through my things. Is it not bad enough that you can't accomplish even the simplest of tasks? Now you have to become a thief as well?!"

The office was in disarray. Papers were scattered on and around the desk, knickknacks and baubles were knocked over, furniture wasn't where it was meant to be, books were tossed from the shelves without care for where they landed. And Lionel Luthor's briefcase was upended, everything inside of it lying around it on display.

Lex tried to meet his father's eyes but couldn't, instead focusing on a button halfway up his father's shirt.

"I didn't take anything," he mumbled, chin wobbling.

"Do not lie to me," Lionel said like a threat. "For heaven's sake, you can't even look me in the eye while you speak to me? You're being so obvious," he lectured. "If you can't look someone in the face when you lie to them, you shouldn't do it at all!"

With effort, Lex lifted his gaze. He made it to his father's nose, which he figured was better than nothing. Voice shaking, he said, "I didn't take anything."

Lionel gave a harrumph. "Pathetic."

A brief flare of indignation lit in Lex. He hadn't stolen anything. He knew better than that. "I didn't come into your office, and I didn't steal anything. I swear to God, fathe-"

The second blow was unexpected and sent Lex to the floor with a sharp cry of pain. When he looked up at his father in shock, and not a little bit of horror, there was a glare so fierce on his face that Lex's entire body trembled.

"Do not swear to God with me," Lionel hissed. "You take responsibility for your own faults, or so help me, I'll make you regret it."

"Lionel!"

Lillian Luthor hurried into the room, her voice appalled. Lex looked up at her from the floor. From this angle, her enlarged stomach seemed gigantic. When his little brother was born, Lex had decided, Lex would protect him. He wouldn't let his father act like this with Lex's brother. Lex would protect him.

"Lionel, you can't keep doing this," Lillian told him, pleading. "We have another child coming into this world. You have to stop."

Lionel frowned. "And will having a little brother change our current son from a thief?" he asked. "Will that make Lex successful?"

"Yes."

Both parents turned to watch as Lex pushed himself off the floor. Lex squared his shoulders and met his father's eyes, even as his cheek burned from the earlier slap.

"I'll be successful," Lex announced. "I'll be successful in protecting Julian. I'll protect him from anyone who wants to hurt him, including you!" He'd shield Julian from Lionel as effectively as that kid in Smallville had shielded him from the meteors; like Warrior Angel protected the Guardian Realm from Devilicus.

For a moment, Lionel looked proud of Lex's bravery and gall. Lillian certainly did, if also sad that such a statement had to be made. Then Lionel narrowed his eyes at his son.

"Do you think you're some sort of hero, Lex?" he asked derisively. "You read too many comic books."

He had more to say, and so did Lex. Lex would've said something about the countless Greek mythology books – heck, all mythology books – that his father foisted upon him every day, all the history lessons and math lessons and business meetings Lex had to attend in order to learn what was expected of him. He had countless words building up, countless grievances to lay before his father and demand he own up to his own faults. From the look on Lionel Luthor's face, he had quite a few of his own to air.

But neither man got a chance to say them, for at that moment, Lillian's water broke. Lex's baby brother was coming. Now.

…

…

_tbc_


	2. Chapter 2

It was four in the morning, the moon the only light visible in the sky above Metropolis, and Lex Luthor was escaping.

The window to the Luthor family mansion, the one in Metropolis at least, slid up and open without a sound, kept in perfect condition by the house staff. Lex tugged on the rope in his hands once more, testing that it didn't give even the slightest bit, before sliding himself out the window. He held on to the excess rope so that no one below would have a warning that he was coming, and prayed that he'd remembered how to hook up his harness to the rappel device properly.

He'd stolen the mountain climbing gear from the storage room, where countless millions in purchases made over the years ended up when they were no longer needed. Lex didn't know what half of the stuff was called or what, exactly, they did, but he'd been instructed once upon a time on how to set the entire rig up. So far, hanging two feet out of his bedroom window with a backpack over his shoulder, everything seemed to be going well.

Slowly, Lex lowered himself down the outside of the mansion wall. He'd timed his escape when there would be no guards walking about near his room, but he still kept his eyes and ears peeled. No one came. No one was in any of the rooms he passed on his way down. That made sense. His father had fired half of the staff in the past week. There was hardly anyone for Lex to avoid.

Once on the ground, Lex unhooked the harness and all cords and clips and whatever else from his person. He didn't bother trying to hide any of the equipment. He didn't care if his father knew how he'd gotten out. The point was that Lex was out, free, and he wasn't coming back.

Sneaking out of the yard was almost harder than rappelling down the side of the building. Lex had to dart from bush to tree to bush, and then scale the wall in the exact spot he knew there would be no security camera watching, and land on the other side without hurting himself or drawing attention.

It wasn't easy, but he did it. Then he was breathing free air. Lex took a moment to inhale deeply, hold it, and then exhale all the tension from his body.

Then he ran.

…

…

It was fascinating to watch the city wake up around him. Granted, Metropolis never really slept, but it did calm down in the early hours of the morning, so Lex got to see people leaving their buildings for work and opening their shops. There weren't even many cars on the road at that time of the morning.

Even though he was only twelve, and Lex figured a twelve year old walking alone at five am was pretty unusual, no one stopped him. No one even looked at him for more than a second. Lex thanked his forethought into wearing a wig, since his bald head would've been really obvious. Everyone knew Lex Luthor on sight, usually.

The brighter the sky became, the more people and cars and noise bustled around Lex. He wasn't used to walking for so long, and his feet and legs grew tired long before he reached his destination. His destination was the east terminal bus station. It was the farthest station from the Luthor mansion, which meant a less obvious point of exit from the city. Also, buses were inherently gross and plebeian, so his father would likely have people searching the airport and train stations before moving on to buses. Still, Lex wished he could've afforded to catch a cab to the station or something, but until he turned eighteen, he had very little in the way of funds.

Well, for a Luthor.

He had what he'd earned doing odd jobs for his mother and the staff, which he'd invested with help from his mother and earned a tidy sum from, but his father had put an end to such nonsense the moment he told Lex he would soon attend Excelsior Academy.

Lex turned a corner and ran into a heavyset man in an ill-fitting suit. "Oof!"

"Watch where you're going," the man snapped, shoving past Lex to continue on his way.

Lex stood in shock for a few long moments. No one had ever talked that way to Lex before – except for his father. Most people were too afraid of Lionel to be rude to his son. This was proof that he wasn't recognized. This was proof he could really do this – be on his own without fear of being sent home.

Grinning, Lex hefted his bag further up on his shoulders and trudged on.

…

…

An hour later, Lex's luck ran out.

The bus station was in view. He'd made it. Soon he'd be able to sit down, rest his feet, and jet across the country, away from his father and Excelsior Academy and Oliver Queen and everything that was shitty in his life now.

Then, just as Lex went to cross the street to the station, a hand landed on his shoulder. "Excuse me, son, can I have a moment?"

Irritated, Lex turned around to snap out an admittedly rude No, but stopped when he saw the blue uniform the woman was wearing. His mouth shut with an audible click of his teeth. "Officer," he said softly.

She nodded. "May I ask where your parents are?"

"You can ask, but I don't have to answer," Lex told her simply.

Now frowning, the cop said, "I really must insist you do. We get a lot of runaways here in Metropolis and it's not a safe place to be on your own. You could get hurt, or worse."

Lex was frowning too. "I can handle myself. Trust me." He shook his head. "And I'm not a runaway."

The lie slid from his tongue easily. It was so matter-of-fact that even the cop took a moment to consider its validity. Lex met her eyes the entire time.

She let out a short sigh. "Either way, no one your age should be wandering around Metropolis on your own. Let me call your parents."

From her pocket she pulled a cell phone. It was clunky looking, but Lex knew that within a few years, cell phones would be powerful machines capable of more than anyone thought a phone could do. But he'd sat in on meetings with companies set on making the phones of the future, so Lex probably knew more about their development than any other twelve year old on the planet.

"What's your phone number?"

How could Lex get himself out of this one? He could give a false number, then bolt while she called. But then she would report him and they'd look at the surveillance footage of this street corner. They'd likely see him board a bus shortly after losing the cop's trail. When his father started looking for Lex, as he would within the next two hours, there would be a story circulating among the police about a boy Lex Luthor's age at this bus station. His entire plan would be scrapped.

"Excuse me, officer?"

Both Lex and the officer turned and found a tall, broad shouldered young man – he looked somewhere between seventeen and twenty – standing just to Lex's left. His hair was black and his eyes were green behind square frame glasses that really did nothing for his otherwise attractive face. And boy was he big. Even under two layers of shirts, the muscles in the guy's arms and chest were obvious. And yet, somehow, he gave off an unassuming air, as if he'd never hurt a single person in his entire life.

Lex might've gone a little shaky in the knees.

"Good morning," the officer said to the man. "Sorry, unless it's an emergency, could you give me just a few minutes? I have to make a phone call for this young man."

The broad shouldered man shook his head. "No, see, that's the thing. He's my brother. Pete."

All of Lex's higher brain function died for approximately three seconds. He was what now?

The teen gave an embarrassed smile that would've disarmed a terrorist. "We're in town just for the weekend and I was supposed to take him to the Tech Fair-," he motioned down the street where, just visible, flags were posted outside of a building promoting said technology convention, "-yesterday but I didn't. When I woke up today he was gone so I figured he must've gone this way to attend it today on his own, so I followed him, and I was right. So you see, I'm so sorry if he caused you any problems because he's my brother and my responsibility and I failed at that."

He gave a bow that startled the cop. She nearly dropped her phone.

Clearly flustered, the cop said, "Well then." She cleared her throat. "Make sure he doesn't run off again then. A lot of kids his age are kidnapped right off the street, especially late at night or early in the morning, like now."

Looking chagrined, the guy said, "I know. He doesn't usually run off." The look he shot Lex really did seem like one from one ticked off brother to his sibling, and Lex took a half step back before the man's hand landed on his shoulder. "I'll stay with him from now on. I promise. And thank you so much for all the hard work you do, officer."

Now flushing at the compliment from this attractive young man, the officer nodded. "Well, you two have a nice day. And behave yourself from now on, Pete, you hear me?"

Lex barely remembered respond to that name; to nod and say, "Yes, ma'am."

When the police officer was gone, the older teen turned his attention on Lex. He narrowed his eyes in a way that suggested he was trying to be sly as he asked, "So, who are you, really? And what are you doing out here all by yourself?"

There was a moment when Lex considered lying, but this guy had just helped him escape being sent home without causing a scene. He deserved something for that.

"My name is Alex," he said. "And I'm just enjoying a bit of freedom."

The guy crossed his muscled arms across his muscled chest and nodded. "I'm Clark. What do you mean, freedom? Are you really a runaway?"

Glancing around to make sure no one was close enough to eavesdrop – and really no one was nearby period – Lex said, "My father is a particular sort of parent. The kind you want to get away from and never go back."

Clark was frowning now, as if he regretted stopping that cop from calling Lex's parents. "Just because stuff isn't perfect at home doesn't mean you have to run away. Can't you and your dad work it out?"

Lex gave a bark of bitter laughter. "Not likely." He shifted his feet. "Look, thank you for your help, but I need to catch a bus."

"Where are you headed?" Clark asked.

If it wasn't clearly impossible, Lex would've thought that Clark was going to run and tell Lionel the destination of Lex's bus as soon as it pulled out of the station. "West," was all he admitted.

Clark nodded, then stared at Lex with a pensive expression. He just stared, and stared, for several long seconds. Just as Lex was about to shoot out a goodbye and leave, Clark asked, "Do you wanna catch a movie?"

"Excuse me?"

…

…

Eating breakfast had, unsurprisingly, not been near the top of Lex's to do list when running away from home. In fact, he hadn't planned for food almost at all. That, and only that, was the reason why he had allowed for Clark to take him to a movie – wasting three hours of his getaway time but also letting his feet rest – and then to a diner for food when Lex's stomach started to cause him physically detrimental pain.

The absolute only reason.

Watching Lex take small, almost dainty, bites of his eggs and sausage, Clark gave a gentle smile that could rival the sun for warmth, as if his plans for the day had always been to take Lex to breakfast and a movie. It made Lex's cheeks heat in a way that wasn't at all unpleasant.

No. It was completely unpleasant. When Lex was done eating he would ditch Clark and head for the bus, like he'd originally intended.

"So," Clark began, sipping at the coffee he'd purchased in lieu of food, "why are you running away? What's so bad you had to escape?"

It wouldn't be terrible to tell someone about his home life, Lex thought. As long as he kept it vague, no one should be able to track him back there – especially not Clark. Clark looked like he lifted things for a living, not like a detective or investigative reporter. Besides that, no one had ever asked him about why his life was bad before.

"My mom died two weeks ago," Lex said, doing his best to keep his voice even. He didn't mention his baby brother's demise at the same time. Clark's face fell into obvious distress. "With her gone, my father has decided he can't even stand to look at me. He's always been…less than pleasant, but it's clear now that he simply hates me. So he plans to send me off to boarding school, hoping that it'll teach me to be something other than a failure."

"You-"

Clark stopped almost as soon as he'd started. He and Lex stared at each other for several long moments – someone who was almost a child and someone who was almost an adult – and then the child won. Clark cast his gaze out the window.

He couldn't prove Lex wasn't a failure. That was the short of it. He didn't know Lex. And he had no idea what life was like with Lionel Luthor, so he couldn't deny that Lex's father hated him. He didn't understand how bad 'less than pleasant' was in the Luthor family household. Clark had no idea, so he had to concede the point.

"I used to think my parents regretted adopting me."

Lex looked up from where he'd turned his attention back to his food. Clark was still looking out the window at the people walking down the Metropolis sidewalk. He was adopted?

"It seemed like, no matter what I did, I just caused them more and more problems. I broke things all the time. I cost them money, a lot of money. I even got arrested while trying to help people once or twice." The smile on his face was nostalgic, a bit of humor and a bit of bitterness.

If Lex had been forced to guess, he never would've said that Clark had gotten in trouble with the law. It was the aura around him: all kindness and good will. How could someone like that run afoul of the police? And for helping others?

Shaking his head, Clark looked at Lex. "They never did, though. Regret it, I mean. My whole life, they've always told me how much they're proud of me, how happy they are that I found them, and they found me. But I know that…not all families are like that. I've seen a lot, and I know that sometimes…sometimes family fails you, and sometimes you have to get away in order to save yourself. And I know that it takes a lot of strength to make that decision."

Strength. Lex hadn't thought about that. He'd considered it a weakness to run away from home. He was escaping rather than face Oliver at Excelsior Academy. He was escaping rather than face his father's continued aversion to his own son. But Clark said escaping took strength. Perhaps a strength of character rather than of physical might, then. Someone had to recognize that there was a bad situation and then make a conscious decision, both objectively and emotionally, to leave that situation.

This escape still felt like weakness to Lex, but he was grateful for the vote of confidence.

Clark paid for their food and then they left the diner behind. Although it hadn't been part of his plan, Lex followed Clark farther from the bus station. There was something about him that made Lex feel safe; as if everything was okay as long as Clark was there. And it wasn't the size of his muscles.

"So," Clark asked after they'd walked a block in silence. "What are you going to do with yourself when you get…uh…wherever it is you're going?"

Lex glanced up at Clark's face, farther above his own than he expected, and then glanced around at the other people on the street, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be working for his father. "Rent an apartment. Enroll myself in an online schooling program. Get a part-time job. Eventually, probably after graduation, join a science industry, prove myself a genius, take over the company within four years, and turn it into the most successful scientific business in the industry, creating cures for disease and answers to problems like drought, famine, and war, eventually leading to space travel and colonies on other planets."

Clark stopped walking, so Lex did too.

"That's…really specific," he said, looking down at Lex with an odd expression. Lex couldn't tell if Clark was apprehensive about him now, or hesitantly proud of him.

A shrug. "My dad basically wants me to take over the world," Lex told him. "I just like science. And I want to be…," saying 'a hero' would sound childish, "—helpful to people."

After a moment more of staring, Clark let out a soft huff of laughter. "I don't have a clue what I'm gonna do after I graduate, and you've got your entire life planned out." He laughed again.

"I don't see why you can't help people too," Lex said. He motioned to Clark. "You helped me today, with that cop, and you've got the build for a veritable hero." The shoulder-to-hip ratio of a Dorito.

Clark rolled a shoulder and then hunched, as if doing so would make his bulk less apparent. Somehow, it did. He looked smaller, less imposing, less heroic. It wasn't just the hunch in his shoulders either. There was something gentler about his face too.

"I don't know about hero," Clark said. "I like helping people, but heroes get a lot of attention." He gave a single shake of his head. "Your dad told you to take over the world?"

It wasn't the smoothest transition, but Lex allowed it because talking about Clark being a hero obviously made him uncomfortable. Lex wasn't sure why. Heroes were practically worshipped in comics and movies. He nodded at Clark's question.

"That seems like kind of a tall order for a kid," Clark reasoned, frowning.

Lex drew himself up to his full height – short as that was – and puffed out his chest. "Alexander the Great did it. He started his campaign at only twenty and had conquered the world by thirty."

It looked like Clark had some choice words to say about that, but he never got to say them.

Something collided with Lex from the right, catapulting him into the alley between two tall apartment buildings. Lex's first thought as he hit the ground was that he was glad he had landed out of sight of the street, because anyone seeing him sprawl haphazardly on the hard ground of the alley, and anyone who heard the squeaking whimper of noise he let out upon landing, would likely never see him as a respectable adult, even if they watched him grow to be thirty-five and president of the United States.

Then he realized that it hadn't been a _thing_ that hit him. It was a person. It was three persons, actually. One had collided with Lex while two had driven Clark into the alley as well.

"What?" Lex let out, still on the ground.

Three knives made guest appearances in the hands of the three men. "Empty your pockets. Empty your pockets or else."

A robbery. A robbery that could turn into a mugging if these guys put their minds to it. Lex felt frozen in place, unable to even stand up. He had a good chunk of money with him, in his bag. It hadn't seemed like much, not for a Luthor, only a minute ago. Now he felt like the foolish millionaire, walking around with a few thousand dollars in his pockets and being shocked when the impoverished robbed him.

Lex didn't even get enough time to work himself up into a proper panic. Only moments after he realized he was about to lose everything he had on him – and thus all his plans for escaping his father – there was a flash of color and the knives were gone. Clark, standing next to Lex in the middle of the pseudo-circle made by their attackers, held up one of the blades in his right hand while the other two rested in his left.

"How'd you-"

The knife was bent beyond recognition in Clark's grip. Another blink of an eye and all three weapons clanged to the ground in crumpled balls, like paper thrown toward a trashcan that missed.

The would-be assailant behind Lex and Clark, the one who had shoved Lex, turned to run. He didn't get far before Clark was suddenly before him. Clark knocked him into the wall hard enough to dent the brick and the guy fell to the ground and didn't get back up. Then, as the other two were realizing what had happened and also turned, to run back toward the main street, Clark grabbed them by the collars of their shirts. He pulled them back and then…it looked like he barely tapped them with the palm of his hands, but both men were knocked immediately unconscious.

Lex was still sitting on the ground, jaw on the floor, heartbeat racing.

"You….You just…." One day, Lex would be a smooth talker, but it was not that day. "How did you-How did you do that?"

Mouth a thin line and expression clearly worried, Clark reached down to help Lex to his feet. Despite just manhandling the muggers like they were made of paper, the grip he had on Lex's hand and the strength he used to pull Lex up felt normal, like any other person on the planet might have.

"I—," Clark stopped, closed his eyes. "Can you keep a secret, Alex?"

Well, his name wasn't Alex, not technically, so Lex figured that was evidence enough right there. "Yes."

"Like, a really, really big secret?" Clark clarified, opening his eyes and fixing an extremely earnest gaze directly on Lex. "A life-changing, world-changing secret?"

Okay, now Lex _had_ to know. He fought not to smile – that would be showing his hand – but his lips still twitched up. "I won't tell. I promise."

Leaning over so that his head was level with Lex's, Clark took a deep breath. "I might…be an alien."

An alien.

An alien from outer space.

An alien from outer space who had super powers.

An alien from outer space who had super powers and liked to help people.

"You're Warrior Angel," Lex breathed out.

Clark blinked slowly once, nonplussed. "Well, I'm not-"

"Can you fly?"

Another pause. "Uh…no. I mean, sometimes I think I-but no. No. I haven't-I can't fly."

Well, you couldn't have everything, Lex reasoned as he shrugged. "You're super fast and strong. And you've now saved me twice in one day. That makes you a hero to me. Not only that – a superhero."

Now visibly uncomfortable, Clark glanced around. He started in surprise at the unconscious forms around them. "Oh, right. Uh. How about we continue this somewhere else?"

They moved to a nearby park and sat on a bench together. It was almost lunch time now, though Lex had just eaten and wasn't nearly hungry yet. The park, though small compared to other recreational areas in Metropolis, was bustling with people out for a lunchtime stroll, walking their pets, or taking their kids out for the day. Oddly enough, the public space and the noise made the conversation between Clark and Lex almost private.

"Look, maybe I've got powers similar to Warrior Angel, and maybe I've helped people before, but I don't know that I'm a hero," Clark said.

Lex had one leg curled up on the bench so he could fully face Clark. His bag sat on the ground by his other foot. "That humbleness is also like a proper hero," he said, smiling. "Superpowers and humility and a desire to help. That's more than enough to be a superhero, Clark."

Blushing, Clark said, "Still not sure about that, but thanks."

A disbelieving shake of his head reminded Lex that he was still wearing a wig. How ironic. He was sitting next to a bonafide superhero and yet he was the one wearing a disguise.

"Um, speaking of helping, though." Clark pulled a napkin from his pocket. Had that been there since they had breakfast? "I wrote my number on this. So, you know, wherever you end up, if you need help, I'll do what I can. I know we just met, but I want you to know that you don't have to go it alone, okay?"

Lex accepted the napkin and stared at the number written in black pen. It had a local area code. Not Metropolis, but nearby. There was a hero living in Kansas. What were the odds?

"And don't worry if you're too far west," Clark said. "If you need me, I'll be there pretty fast." He smirked, as if his powers were already an inside joke between them.

The thought made Lex's stomach flutter.

Lex slipped the napkin into the smallest pocket on his pack for safe keeping. "Thanks, Clark. This…" He swallowed. "It means a lot."

When Clark moved in for a hug, Lex practically lunged into it. Even through layers of clothing and Clark doing his best to seem unintimidating and to use normal human strength, being in his arms felt like safety. Lex had never felt that safe, ever, in his life. The closest he got was when he remembered being protected, saved, during the meteor shower. Clark had a lot more bulk to him than Lex's mystery savior, though, not to mention the glasses.

"Be safe, Alex."

…

…

Despite knowing that Clark could probably get to Lex in minutes, no matter where he lived, Lex decided that he didn't want to go away. He knew a real hero. His own Warrior Angel. An alien, living in his own backyard. And even though Clark was the super powered one, Lex felt like he needed to stay close – sort of like Clark's backup. The Devilicus to Clark's Warrior Angel, only without the 'going evil' part.

So when he and Clark split ways, instead of heading for the bus station again, Lex hailed a cab and went home.

The guards stationed at the main gates looked surprised to see him, so either they hadn't even known he was gone or they'd never expected him to come back. The lack of police around the mansion suggested the former.

The head of house staff stopped dead upon seeing him, though, so at least someone had noticed he was gone. "Master Alexander," he said, frowning. "Your father is not happy with you."

Swallowing down any fear he had, Lex said, "I know, Frederic. I just…I needed to get out. You know, for a bit."

Frederic shook his head but did not say what Lex could read in his eyes. You should not have come back in. Then the dutiful worker led Lex down the halls and into Lionel's personal study. Lionel was on the phone and sounded angry, but as soon as he saw Lex he snapped, "Never mind. The situation has resolved itself," and hung up.

"Where have you been?" Lionel asked once Frederic had left them alone.

Coming back home so soon had never been in the plans, and Lex had no idea what to say. "I just went out for a bit," he said, repeating his words to Frederic.

Lionel crossed the room quickly, but not nearly as fast as Clark. Still, Lex was unprepared. He flinched, and caught sight of the disgust in his father's eyes when he did, as Lionel lashed out toward him. Instead of striking Lex, as Lex had expected, Lionel grabbed the bag from off Lex's shoulder.

The bag was ripped open and riffled through in quick order. The clothes, comics, money, and even the wig he'd stuffed there while in the taxi were clear evidence of Lex's former plans. Lionel scowled. "Lying to me, as usual," he said, holding the wad of money up and fingering the bills.

He would probably keep the money. All of Lex's savings would be gone. He'd start from scratch. But that was fine. He'd done that before. And he would be much more useful to Clark with the resources of a Luthor, when he became an adult, than he would living on his own in California or Washington.

"I'm sorry, father," Lex said, doing his best to look contrite.

"Not yet you aren't," Lionel snapped, and tossed Lex's bag of belongings into the crackling fire to his right.

Lex jolted, took several steps toward the fire, threw his arms out as if he could stop the bag with his mind, but nothing stopped it from landing amongst the flames. That bag held Lex's least Luthorian clothes. That bag held Lex's favorite Warrior Angel comics. That bag held Clark's phone number, written on an extremely flammable napkin. There was no way it would survive the fire. "No."

"Yes," Lionel said, grinning at Lex's obvious distress.

He'd come back because of Clark. He was going to help him become a hero. He was going to be strong for Clark, because he wanted to stay close to Clark and Clark was super strong so Lex needed to be stronger. But he couldn't even save a phone number from his father.

"You leave for Excelsior Academy first thing in the morning," Lionel informed him dispassionately, pocketing Lex's money. "I'd suggest you go pack your things, but I've already had them packed for you and you obviously cannot be trusted to do it yourself. You'll stay under the careful watch of Dominic until you are safely secured at the academy."

Lex wasn't listening as his father kept talking at him. Not to him, at him.

" _It's a weird feeling, being so weak, but I don't think it's permanent. And who knows, maybe I'll be even stronger after this."_

It had been almost four years since the meteor shower, but Lex was no stronger now than he was then. He still cowered before his father. He still failed to protect anything that mattered to him. He still had no real friends. He still caved under pressure. He was still weak.

Maybe he wouldn't get stronger after this. Maybe Lex would always be weak, just like his father said, a failure. Maybe this was permanent.

"I'm sorry," Lex whispered.

He didn't know if he was apologizing to the boy who'd saved him from the meteors – as if Lex was worth protecting, or to Clark – Kansas' own personal super hero who saw Lex as someone capable of greatness, or to his father – who had already left the room, or to his mother – for failing to live up to her expectations and escape his father's clutches. He just knew he was sorry, and his heart was breaking with it.

…

…

_tbc_


	3. Chapter 3

"Fuck you, Luthor!"

Laughing as he stumbled out the door, Lex crowed back, "No, fuck Stacy, you asswipe! Before she figures out she's too good for you!"

The loud sounds of blaring music and pulsing lights of the night club cut off when the door shut, leaving Lex standing in an alleyway somewhere in Metropolis. He could still hear the music from where it drifted out through the front doors of the building, somewhere around a few corners from where Lex stood, and he hummed along off key and off beat as he staggered toward the end of the alley.

The media would already have a dozen plus pictures of him in the club, with all the hottest people drifting around him and a choice few allowed to drape themselves all over him. Hell, maybe someone even got a shot of him doing something illegal. But Lex only left through the front doors when he wanted to make a flashy exit with a hot date. Tonight was not one of those nights, so he slunk out the back.

His car was parked by a valet, but Lex didn't much feel like getting it at the moment. The world was a beautiful place and he wanted to bask in it as he walked. Besides, he wasn't an idiot, and he knew driving right now – with the amount of alcohol and drugs in his system – would be a monumentally stupid decision.

A few buildings down from the club was a diner. Lex wasn't hungry, but he paused to look in the front windows at the bright room beyond it anyway. There were two visible workers and two visible diners, at separate tables. Two people eating alone. How depressing.

The TV had the attention of everyone in view and Lex's eyes drifted up to it too. It was a news program. Breaking News. _Flying Man Rescues 11 From Building Fire. Superhero or Super Danger?_ The talking heads were apparently arguing about this question quite heatedly but there were no subtitles so Lex couldn't tell.

Superhero.

"Shit. Clark."

It had been five years since he lost Clark's phone number to a fire, though nothing so terrible that it took out an entire building. Only one year since he was let loose from Excelsior Academy. 'Early graduation' pfft. They just wanted him gone.

Wait. Focus.

Superhero. Clark.

Clark thought his name was Alex and that he'd moved to somewhere in the west of the US. Clark was impressed by Lex's plans for the future, with what he wanted to do with his life. Clark was super fast and super strong. But Clark couldn't fly. Lex had specifically asked. Clark had said he couldn't fly.

Clark wouldn't be the first person who lied to him.

No. Clark didn't lie to him. Clark was a hero. He'd been proof that Warrior Angel was real, that all of Lex's dreams hadn't been stupid, childish fantasies. Five years was a long time. Maybe long enough to learn to fly, once someone gave you the idea.

"I screwed up, Clark," he muttered toward the TV screen, reaching out to touch the glass between him and the restaurant.

He wasn't working in a scientific research lab. He wasn't currently in school, whether high school or college. He wasn't helping people or discovering the mysteries of space or curing diseases. He was seventeen, drunk and high and pissing away his life – and his father's fortune.

It felt like breaking a promise.

Lex pushed off from the glass, though he hadn't been using it to hold his weight, and moved to find a taxi. There weren't any in the area, so he'd have to wander until he found one.

When Lex had been twelve, he'd told Clark to be a hero. He'd explained why Clark already was one. And he'd decided to become the kind of person who could be Clark's support, his friend, his…not sidekick, Luthors were not sidekicks, but…companion. And in a moment of weakness he'd given all of that up. He couldn't remember now what had caused it, just that it had, in hindsight, not seemed so big. Lex was sure that whatever it was, it shouldn't have shaken him that way, but it had, and he'd conformed to the Academy, until he'd been kicked out (with a diploma, but eh, details) and turned to the tried and true sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll.

Right now, Lex didn't even deserve the title of sidekick, as humiliating as that would've been. If Lex were a hero, he wouldn't save himself. Pathetic. He had to be better. For the sake of the people who kept trying to save him – from the world and from himself. He had to be a better man.

A taxi stopped and Lex tumbled into the back seat. He didn't talk to the driver more than to give his address. He was too busy planning how he'd clean himself up and become the sort of person who deserved a hero for a friend.

He needed to do what he should've done years ago. He needed to find Clark.

…

…

**Interview with the Superman**

With the increasing appearances of a flying super being all around Metropolis, and even the world, people are left wondering if they should be grateful for a hero or fearing a villain. Up until now, only the scarcest of information has been available to all of mankind on this mysterious person. We knew it looked like a normal human man, that he was very fast, very strong, and had the capability of flight. We also knew that he always fled the scene of a rescue before anyone could ask him a single question.

Today is a new day.

The Daily Planet's own Lois Lane sat down with the man himself for his first ever interview.

-

 **Lois Lane:** So here I sit with the world infamous superman.

 **?:** My name is Kal-El.

He wrote it down for us on paper even.

 **L:** Hm. Superman sounds more catchy.

 **Kal-El:** Well every hero has a memorable name, I suppose.

 **L:** So is that what you are? A hero?

 **K:** That's what I'd like to be.

 **L:** And what sorts of powers do you have? We've seen you use super strength and speed, and fly, obviously. Is there anything else to Superman?

 **K:** A few, but I believe the saying goes 'A magician never reveals his tricks.' If any criminals read this interview, I wouldn't want them to know all my strengths or weaknesses.

 **L:** So you do have weaknesses?

 **K:** Isn't that the question. If we could move on, Ms. Lane?

 **L:** Of course. Where did you come from? Why now?

 **K:** Originally I'm from a planet called Krypton, and I suppose now is because I finally feel ready to use my gifts and help people the way I've always wanted to.

 **L:** Hold on, back up. 'a planet called Krypton'? Are you saying you're an alien?

 **K:** Yes.

 **L:** Are there more of you? Should we be expecting an invasion?

 **K:** No, Ms. Lane. My planet died many years ago. I'm the last of my kind.

 **L:** Let's say I believe you. Why Earth?

 **K:** I came to Earth as a child, after my planet was destroyed. I landed here and have been, for lack of a better term, a refugee.

 **L:** You said you wanted to be a hero. I understand that you have great powers and there's that comic book belief that 'with great power comes great responsibility,' but why become a hero? Why not just leave Earth? Or, better question, why not take over? Be a villain?

 **K:** I've lived here for a long time. I love this planet. It's my home. I want to do everything I can to protect it. And, I'm sorry to disappoint, but being a villain isn't in the plans. I've always been a fan of Warrior Angel, not Devilicus.

 **L:** You're an alien who reads comics. That may be the strangest thing I've heard so far.

 **K:** It was suggested to me by the first person to call me a hero, before I ever considered myself one.

 **L:** And will you be Metropolis' personal superhero, like The Batman for Gotham, or can we expect to see Superman crossing the globe? How often can we expect to see your…bright costume flying around our city?

 **K:** I'm always around.

…

…

Clark Kent.

It was surprisingly easy to discover that name with what little information Clark had told him when they met five years ago. All Lex knew was that Clark was adopted, was over six feet tall, wore glasses, black hair, green eyes, had been arrested a time or two, and by his phone's area code had, at least five years ago, lived in Kansas.

His investigation turned up Clark's name within days. Clark Kent, the adopted son of Jonathan and Martha Kent.

He was adopted in 1989, shortly after a meteor shower hit the town, presumably killing his birth parents. He attended Smallville Elementary School, Smallville Middle School, and Smallville High School, followed by Metropolis University, where he graduated just a few months earlier with a Bachelor's in Journalism. He'd been on the school paper in middle school and in high school, writing articles on all the very…interesting inhabitants of his hometown with special gifts, as well as about local heroes and events at his schools.

He became Student Body President during his junior year and was successful in his position, but didn't run again during his Senior Year. He was part of his high school football team all four years, captain for three, leading his team to three state championships. He'd earned a full ride scholarship and used it to attend Metropolis University, but decided not to play professionally. His grades were above average but just low enough to miss out on Valedictorian or Salutatorian in his graduating class.

As Clark had said, he'd been arrested twice. Both times, it was later revealed that his actions had actually saved someone's life or revealed the identity of a criminal, and the records were expunged. The same was true of the arson charges he'd faced in his freshman year of high school, when it was revealed that a teacher at his school had faked the attack because Clark had turned her down when she made advances on him.

Lex couldn't really blame her for wanting Clark. Honestly, he was six foot five inches of solid muscle with an angel's face and thick lips topped off with gorgeous green eyes.

He hadn't always worn glasses.

The photo was of Clark in his freshman year. The entire football team was trying to shove into the shot, all of them lifting Clark on their shoulders and hollering. Clark had a big trophy in his hands. The caption said it was the first state championships the Smallville Crows had won in over a decade, and freshman Clark Kent was the MVP.

The Clark in the image wasn't nearly as broad and muscled as the one Lex had met…oh, just under four years after the picture was taken. He looked, for someone of Clark's size, gangly and unimpressive. But the joy on his face was infectious and uplifting.

What was important about that picture was that Lex recognized this Clark. Lex knew this younger Clark as well as he knew the older version. Two months before that picture was taken, a meteor shower struck Smallville, more devastating and terrible than the one from 1989. In that picture, Clark was fourteen, and Lex would've been nine.

Lex was nine when the meteor shower hit Smallville and a fourteen year old Clark Kent appeared before him in a field and said "I've got you," covering Lex's smaller body with his own and saving his life.

"Holy shit," Lex said after dismissing his investigator, still staring at the football photo.

" _It's a weird feeling, being so weak, but I don't know, mom, I don't think it's permanent. And who knows, maybe I'll be even stronger after this."_

Clark hadn't been kidding. He really had gotten stronger after that. He'd doubled his body mass and gained several inches. He wore glasses these days, but no one could deny he was physically stronger now than he was then.

Now the question became what to do with the information he'd gained. He'd found Clark. Lex, though his father and Excelsior Academy had taught him to always plan eight steps ahead, had gone into this blind. There were several options.

 **Option 1:** Approach Clark. Become his friend and confidant. Offer him the scientific and technical support of LuthorCorp.

 _Cons:_ It would have to be done in secret, because Lionel Luthor was still very much alive and publically against Superman already. If his father found out, Lex could be disinherited and Clark would be in danger from Lex's father.

 _Pros:_ Clark's friendship and companionship. He'd get to be Clark's super hero support.

 **Option 2:** Keep an eye on Clark from a distance and use LuthorCorp tech to assist him when necessary. An anonymous tip here, a well placed shock device there.

 _Cons:_ It would have to be done in secret. Lex couldn't talk to Clark directly or be his friend. If his father found out, he could be disinherited.

 _Pros:_ It would keep Lionel Luthor away from Clark Kent, ensuring he never found out the identity of Superman nor had any chance to hurt him.

 **Option 3:** Keep on as usual. Watch the news about Superman but don't interfere. Don't approach Clark Kent.

 _Cons:_ Lex couldn't talk to Clark directly or be his friend. Lex couldn't help Clark out like he'd always wanted to.

 _Pros:_ Lionel Luthor never discovered the identity of Superman nor had any chance to hurt him. Lex wouldn't be disinherited and could, upon his father's death, do whatever the hell he wanted to with the company and all its resources. The only secret would be that Lex knew Superman's identity, and no one was likely to question him about that if he stayed away from anything Superman related.

As much as Lex hated sitting around and waiting, option three appeared to be the best one he had. Lex kept an eye on his father's medical records, had them pulled twice a year just so he would know how his father was doing since the man himself would never admit to any weaknesses. So Lex knew.

Lionel Luthor's liver was failing. In only a few years, it would stop working completely. Lex would do what he could for his father, but the facts were the facts: Alexander J. Luthor would soon be one of the youngest CEOs of a multinational corporation ever.

After that, the future was open to possibilities.

…

…

At LuthorCorp Plaza, you could park in one of a few places. Most employees parked in the parking garages. Every employee was given a sticker with an encoded access marker that opened the gate for them as they drove up to the entrance of the garage. Higher management had an access marker for the underground garage, with higher security and a shorter walk into the building. The underground parking also included a blocked off section where Lionel Luthor's personal vehicles were stored: limos, town cars, and personal vehicle choices. No one but his own drivers and Lionel Luthor himself were allowed in that area.

Some people, however, chose to park in the two available parking lots. The Plaza covered a lot of ground, especially for being right in the middle of Metropolis, so outdoor parking was scarce. Visitors parked there, and while security cameras and officers patrolled it routinely, personal belongings were in the most danger in the lots.

Not that many people thought to steal from a vehicle parked at LuthorCorp Plaza, but the idea was there for employees to think about.

Lex liked parking in the lot. He liked the fresh air between him and the inside of the building. He liked seeing the sky when he entered or left work. He liked glancing up at The Daily Planet building. It was as tall as LuthorCorp Tower, not even including the giant globe on its roof, and seemed to say "Lionel Luthor, you aren't as big and powerful as you think you are."

It was also where Clark now worked, so that was a plus.

From the parking lot, Lex could see the entrance to the Daily Planet. He hadn't seen Clark enter or leave before, but there was always a chance.

That evening, after working into the sunset, Lex had taken the elevator up to his father's penthouse at the top of LuthorCorp Tower. Lionel's failing health had avoided hitting the news only because he could still do his work from his bed. Soon, he wouldn't even be able to do that.

"The doctor's haven't been able to do anything yet?" Lex asked once he'd entered his father's bedroom.

There was a large bed in the center of the room, bigger than a king sized mattress even. Lionel couldn't lie in the middle of it anymore, because the machines and doctors keeping him alive wouldn't have been able to reach him there. Instead, he laid on the right side, near the edge, propped up by innumerable pillows.

Lionel gave a bitter chuckle. "I'm sure you would know before I did, son," he said. At the questioning tilt of the head Lex gave, he said, "Don't pretend you aren't sitting in your office, planning how you'll steal this company from under my failing body."

"If I'd been plotting your demise, dad, I'm sure I could've come up with something faster and more interesting than attacking your liver," Lex assured him. "I've watched you ruin people lives for most of my own, after all."

"And yet you don't deny that you want my company," Lionel pointed out, clasping his hands over his chest as he reclined against the pillows.

Huffing, Lex said, "If I could get the company without you dying, I'd be happier."

Lionel gave a grotesque caricature of a smile. "You're still a terrible liar."

"Dad-"

"A bullet would've been kinder, son."

Lex soon left the penthouse, and the building shortly after that, and headed for his car. As he clicked to unlock his door, he glanced up at the shining globe on the top of the Daily Planet building. Somehow, he always thought he'd see Superman taking off from the roof. He never did.

The penthouse he stayed in himself was a few blocks away, close enough to arrive quickly if anything happened at work and he was needed but far enough away to require a car of his own. Lex's mind raced as he drove.

According to the doctors, his father wouldn't last much longer. The man hadn't become any kinder to Lex over the years. Their interactions had simply evolved from physical and verbal abuse into subtle, cutting remarks and emotional manipulation. Anything Lionel did these days left no visible marks and was thus undetectable to the public.

As the disease had progressed, Lionel had begun to suspect Lex of causing his liver failure, even though every doctor he'd brought in had told him it was preposterous. Still, most meetings between Lex and his father included Lionel making snide comments and veiled threats. His father didn't have the strength to do anything to Lex himself, not anymore, and his influence hadn't hurt Lex yet. Lex always hoped that the lack of action meant that his father, in his more lucid moments, realized he was being unreasonable.

But when had Lionel Luthor ever been reasonable when it came to Lex?

Lex pulled his car into the underground parking lot of his building. He walked through the garage, passed all the fancy cars owned by other tenants of the building, and into the elevator. As the owner of the building and of the top five floors, Lex had a special key that allowed the elevator to go up farther than anyone else, other than Lex's cleaning staff, was allowed to go. As the elevator ascended the floors, Lex leaned against the back wall.

It was about to happen, he thought. Twenty-three and Lex was about to become a CEO. His father wouldn't last the year. They'd fought bitterly when Lionel realized Lex knew about the disease, but Lex had been able to prolong his father's life by at least two years. Now it was at an end. Five years wasn't enough time to get used to the idea of losing a parent. Lex wasn't sure if he preferred losing a parent in a matter of minutes, like he had his mother, or the long, drawn out process of a death by illness.

It should've been easy to say losing his mother was worse. His mother had never hit him, never belittled him, never tried to ruin his business or personal life. She'd been supportive, and had tried to come between him and his father. She'd given him the strength to accept his baldness long before Lionel had thrown him to the wolves of higher society, where such a visible physical feature was looked at like a disease.

Somehow, though, Lex was filled with the same sorrow over his father's impending death as he'd felt when his mother passed. His father had been a part of his life for much longer than his mother. His father was the biggest factor in why Lex was who he was today. When Lex became CEO, he would be able to handle it, excel at it, because of his father's business lessons. Lex had never felt that his father loved him, but his father did own a part of Lex's heart. Lex would mourn him when he was dead.

The best way to avoid any creeping depression was to focus on the future. When Lionel Luthor was dead, Lex would own LuthorCorp outright. It would be his entirely. He could do with it what he wished.

Superman was a worldwide phenomenon now. He had a team of heroes working with him to defeat super powered villains all over the planet, and even in space. They were called The League of Super Friends by the media, and Lex scoffed every time he had to hear it or read it in print.

When Lex finally approached Clark, when he had Clark's friendship, that name would be the first thing Lex would change.

Before visiting his father tonight, Lex had discreetly checked in with his own, hidden department. He'd once, about three years past – when he was only twenty, tried to create his own company. LexCorp could've put LuthorCorp out of business, could've been better than LuthorCorp ever dreamed to be. The battle between Luthors had made the paper multiple times, as they fought for control over minor companies and tried to blackmail and shame each other into giving up. In the end, LuthorCorp had won.

LexCorp had failed, but parts of the company still existed. One part that Lex had kept off the record, and which had survived demolition by LuthorCorp, was the Theory and Research of Earthly and Alien Technologies division, or T.R.E.A.T. for short.

Lex couldn't wait to share T.R.E.A.T. with Clark. The tech they'd cooked up in those labs using all available earth and alien resources was astounding. At least to himself, Lex could admit to more than a few geek outs over the years. The child in him, who adored superhero comics and spy thrillers, was ecstatic. And honestly, only the fact that he'd dreamed up the department with superheroes saving the world in mind kept Lex from contemplating using the technology to do as his father wished – control the world. T.R.E.A.T. was meant to _help_ Clark, not give him another villain to fight.

The elevator doors binged open and Lex unlocked the door to the penthouse, meandering in and loosening his tie as he headed for the liquor cabinet. He didn't even touch a bottle before he heard someone enter the room behind him.

"Don't turn around," the man said.

"And why's that?" Lex asked, keeping his voice as calm as possible.

"Because if you do, I'll put a bullet between your eyes."

Lex nodded. "My choice seems clear then." Staring at the dim reflection of a person in the glass of the many liquor bottles before him, Lex asked, "How did you get up here?"

The man scoffed. "The elevator may not go all the way up without your stupid key, but the stairs do."

Note to self: invest in stairway security.

"And what do you want from me?"

"I want you to walk out onto the balcony."

Knowing that asking why would probably just make the man angry, and an angry man with a gun was never a good thing, Lex nodded again. He held up his hands, so the intruder would see he had nothing on him, and began heading for the balcony without once facing his opponent. He did catch a glimpse of the man in the mirror on the far wall though.

His skin was mottled, almost scaly, and his eyes seemed to glow. One of his arms hung limp at his side while the other held the gun leveled at Lex. He had shaggy, dirty blond hair, and was obviously shivering. Luckily, Lex closely followed the exploits of superheroes, so odd looking people didn't scare him. He was, however, curious as to why a mutant of some kind had come to threaten him. Money? Power? Revenge?

As if in response to Lex's thoughts, the man spoke to Lex as they headed for the balcony. "Your father is a cruel and dangerous man, and he deserves to hurt like I have."

Someone using Lex to get at his father. This had happened before, though never by a mutant.

"What did he do this time?" Lex asked, opening the balcony doors and walking out.

Sometimes Lex wondered why he had the balcony. At this height, a fall would be instantly fatal, and the wind made relaxing on a chair difficult. But the view was lovely and Lex had no hair to blow into his face, so it had its perks. Then again, Lex hated heights, so maybe he was just a little bit insane after all.

"He lied to me!" the man shouted, following Lex outside. It didn't matter. No one could hear them this high up. "It was meant to be a simple job, security detail. But instead I ended up as one of his damned experiments! Look at me!"

Now Lex turned. The man grew more visibly agitated the longer Lex looked at him without reaction.

"I'm sorry for what he did to you," Lex said at length.

It didn't appease the man. "You think an apology is going to make this right?" he asked, motioning to his body. "I can't go in public anymore. I can't see my family! I'm not even human!" He aimed the gun at Lex's head, though there were several feet between him and Lex still. "Your father is untouchable. He never leaves his damn company. But you? You live alone, and everyone knows the only thing Lionel Luthor cares about besides his damn money is his own son."

Well, Lex would've liked to know that too, but you can't have everything, he supposed.

"So I'm going to hurt him the only way he can be hurt," the man continued.

Lex almost sighed. "You're going to kill me. Even though I had nothing to do with your experiments."

The man shook his head. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

The epithet was so like something Lex's father would've said that Lex nearly laughed. Instead, he considered his options.

Out on the balcony, Lex had nowhere to run to. To three sides was only air and before him was an angry mutant gunman. He had no weapons of his own. And as the man had said, Lex lived alone. Lionel would've had an army of guards alerted by a secret panic button sewn into his jacket sleeves already swarming and killing the intruder. But there was no one around to save Lex.

" _I'm always around."_

Taking a deep breath, Lex lifted his eyes to the sky momentarily and let out a little prayer. "Clark."

"Huh?"

Lex paid the confused gunman no mind. "Once there was a little boy who had a hard home life, and he ran away from that home. His plan was to keep running until he hit the west coast. But then he met a hero, and that hero convinced him to stay and fight." Lex gave a slight shake of his head. "You said I wasn't alone. All I had to do was call and you'd be there for me. I didn't call you before, no matter how bad it got, but I'm calling now, Clark. And if you're listening, I really need a hero right now. Immediately, actually, or I'll probably be dead."

"Are you actually insane?" the mutant snapped out. "No one can hear you!" He shook his head as if to clear it. "What does it matter?"

He obviously didn't want an answer, because he didn't wait for one. Instead, he checked his aim and pulled the trigger.

And suddenly there was someone standing between Lex and the gunman. The bullet bounced off Superman's chest and clattered to the balcony floor harmlessly.

"Superman!" the mutant gasped. "This has to happen! Lionel Luthor deserves it!"

"No matter what his father's done," Superman said in his confident timber, "a son shouldn't have to pay for it."

There wasn't even any time for pithy banter. Superman disarmed the mutant in the blink of an eye, used Lex's tie – and when had he gotten that? – to bind his hands behind his back, and took off into the air with Lex's would-be murderer. Lex was left standing in the wind on his balcony, alone, only moments after his request for help.

…

…

It was ten minutes later, with Lex was sitting on his couch drinking the scotch he'd reached for before, when Superman reappeared. The balcony door was still open, and the caped crusader walked in without so much as a knock.

Placing his glass down on the coffee table, Lex stood and greeted him. "Clark. It's been a long time."

Superman looked him over intently. It almost felt like the hero was using his famed x-ray vision, but Lex did his best not to flinch under the scrutiny.

"You didn't tell me you were bald," Clark said at last, the bravado of Superman falling from his voice. He sounded a lot more like the Clark Lex had watched a movie with so long ago. And, as he stopped standing so straight and tall, his posture more resembled that Clark too.

"High quality wigs are easy enough to come by, and a bald kid would've been too obvious when Lex Luthor's disappearance became common knowledge," Lex explained, rubbing a hand over his smooth head. "Besides, you told me you couldn't fly."

Clark looked abashed. "At the time, I couldn't. That didn't happen until just before I made the news." His cheeks turned faintly pink. "Actually, I decided to go public and become a hero _because_ I learned to fly."

Lex remembered meeting Clark and comparing him to Warrior Angel. He'd pointed out how Clark was strong and fast, and then asked if he could fly. Those were Warrior Angel's main abilities. Was it possible that Clark had decided to become a superhero only after he could match Warrior Angel?

No, that would be silly. Wouldn't it?

"Thank you for saving me," Lex said. "I wasn't sure you still would. It's been a long time. I'm surprised you still remember me, actually."

Shaking his head, Clark said, "Of course I do." Then he tilted his head and narrowed his eyes curiously. "Why didn't you tell me who you were? Why didn't you ever call?"

Lex shrugged. "I lost your number." Then he gave Clark his most teasing smile. "By the way, I have a _treat_ for you."

…

…

_tbc_


	4. Chapter 4

Many of Superman's detractors claimed that, as an alien, Superman was simply the first in a line of invaders, that soon the Earth would be overrun and humanity enslaved or annihilated. Lex's father had been of that mindset before he'd died. But despite the fact that most people welcomed Superman, alien or not, and believed him when he said he was a friend and not a foe, the detractors weren't entirely wrong.

Aliens did invade.

They invaded _twice_.

Both times, Superman was instrumental in stopping them. The Justice League – renamed when Lex Luthor referred to the heroes as such in a few press releases and company documents and in interviews, whether the League wanted it or not – fought alongside him. The first invasion happened shortly after the formation of the League. Calling it rough would be an understatement. Several cities suffered huge losses of both humans and infrastructure. No one had been prepared for an invasion.

The second time aliens invaded, two years after Lex met Clark again, LexCorp offered its assistance. Lex wasn't egotistical enough to believe that it was his company's tech that made beating back the second invasion possible, but he knew it helped a great deal. Few people died in the second invasion, even among the aliens. Superman was seen, on camera, with most of the League behind him, telling the aliens to spread the word: Earth was defended, and anyone who dared to invade would be killed.

So far, no other aliens had dared to try and prove him wrong.

…

…

As they materialized in the transportation room of the Watchtower, Lex resisted the urge to grab his stomach and groan. Obviously zeta beam transportation took a bit of getting used to.

"You okay?" Clark asked, stepping away from him and off the transport pad.

Lex gave a short nod. "Just…acclimating."

When he was sure he could walk without his stomach acting up anymore, Lex followed Clark through the automatic doors into the rest of the station. It was all sleek monochrome – the walls, the floor, the technology. The outer wall was full of windows though, so at least the view of Earth from space broke up the monotony from time to time.

"Batman designed this place, didn't he?"

Clark looked surprised. "How can you tell?"

Motioning to the general area around them as they walked, Lex sarcastically said, "It's so homey."

That earned him a laugh from Clark, which was all the payoff Lex needed. "Well, it's got rooms for all the members of the League, but the Watchtower isn't really meant to be homey, I guess. It's for keeping an eye on Earth."

That was fascinating, really, and maybe a look at the ships they had in the bay, used for zipping off to wherever needed saving within minutes, would impress Lex. At the moment, it felt like he was walking through one of LexCorp's labs, if that lab was trying to create the 1980's view of the future of technology.

Soon enough, Lex and Clark came to the main observation deck. There were a dozen work stations situated around the room, most of them unoccupied but with a keyboard and two computer monitors each. There were large windows showing the Earth in full view along the far wall. Embedded in the ceiling and on the top of the bank of computer stations, Lex saw the base points for a hologram screen projection. No doubt that was for sharing information on one large monitor to all members of the Justice League at once, without blocking the view of Earth.

It was a beautiful room.

Lex went to the nearest computer and tapped the screen. It woke up. An appreciative hum. "Touch screen. Good." Anything less would be insulting. He tapped his way through a few screens.

The Watchtower was meant to be the epitome of modern technology. It was created using both Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp funds, drawing heavily from the Fox Tech and T.R.E.A.T. divisions. Wayne Enterprises had been the ones to physically build the space tower, but even their CEO Bruce Wayne wasn't allowed to visit the station. It was Batman's suggestion - no civilians in the Tower. Only the League. Of course. And if Bruce Wayne wasn't allowed up here, then Lex Luthor definitely wasn't.

Lex narrowed his eyes at Batman every time the subject was brought up – even when Batman wasn't physically present. Damn Bruce, playing both sides. It was entirely unfair.

Not that Lex held a grudge or anything. He wasn't a child, after all.

"Do you like it?" Clark asked, and when Lex turned to look at him, Clark was standing with his arms crossed over his chest. It wasn't a powerful stance, though, not like usual. It was…defensive, uncertain, nervous. Clark wasn't even meeting Lex's eyes.

"I think it's fantastic," Lex said, making Clark look at him. "Better than the schematics and plans I saw during its development by far."

Relaxing his shoulders, his arms dropping to his sides, Clark said, "That's good. I'm glad."

Lex gave Clark a curious look. "Is something the matter? You weren't this nervous the first time I saw your apartment, and you had laundry lying all over the floor then."

Clark sighed, which looked strange coming from Superman. "I know you helped build the Watchtower, but you were kept out of the loop on a lot of it. You love superheroes and you have all these big ideas about what we do and what we're like. I guess I was just worried you'd be unimpressed."

Lex left the computer station and moved to stand between Clark and the giant window wall into space. "Do you see what's behind me, Clark?"

Frowning, confused, Clark said, "Space?"

A nod. "That's correct. Space. The closest anyone else has ever gotten to the view I have right now is from the International Space Station, and the ISS is nice, but you don't get floor to ceiling windows or zeta beam transportation or, for that matter, real food. There aren't space ships waiting in a hanger bay that can get you from this station to anywhere on Earth within ten minutes. This Watchtower is the greatest scientific achievement of our century, and it's where you go to work," Lex said, just shy of gushing like a teenager.

He stepped closer to Clark, until the taller, alien, man had to look down to meet his gaze. His eyes were blue now, as they always were while he was in costume. Lex poked him in the chest, though it was more putting his hand there to rest rather than a jab. There was a light pink dusting appearing on Clark's cheeks.

In a smooth, almost sultry voice, Lex said, "I am very impressed, Clark."

"We don't use our real identities in the Tower."

Clark jumped back, actually floating into the air a few feet, at the deep voice. Lex just frowned and faced the dark figure standing by the door.

"How nice to see you again, Br-I mean, _Batman_ ," Lex greeted, and was pleased to see the tightening of Bruce's lips in response to his fake almost-slip. "It's been awhile."

"Luthor," Batman greeted, not even giving an incline of his head. "Are you enjoying your visit?"

Lex put his hands in his pockets and leaned slightly back, as if they were in his house, his territory, and he had no cares in the world. "Quite. It's an amazing piece of work."

"You requested Superman give you the tour," Batman said, as if it were an accusation.

"We're both from Metropolis, and the press is well aware that I like to give a helping hand," Lex answered, pretending this was an interview. "It seemed fitting that the League member I know the best should give me the tour of my _own space station_ that I earned after saving the world a time or two."

Sensing the tension in the air, Clark landed between them. "Batman, are you here to watch the monitors?" Batman nodded. "Then Lex and I will get out of your way. Excuse us," he said curtly, then waved for Lex to lead the way out.

Once they'd left the main observation deck, Clark showed him the mess hall, the training rooms, the labs, and the bedroom assigned to Superman for if he had to stay in the Tower overnight.

"I prefer your apartment back on Earth," Lex commented lightly.

Clark chuckled. "You hate my apartment," he corrected. "You called it 'Middle America's Cesspool' if I remember correctly."

Sitting on Clark's bed – a simple, square, passably comfortable box – Lex crossed his legs and said, "True. I did. But at least it has character."

Clark flipped his cape up so he could sit on the bed beside Lex without sitting on the draping fabric. "Character? That's like calling a crowded, messy house 'quaint' so you don't hurt the owner's feelings, Lex."

Lex shook his head. "No it's not. Your apartment is beneath you and I think you should let me buy you something better, but I'm not talking about money here. This room was made using more money than NASA's yearly budget for a decade and look at it. It's Spartan."

The way Clark glanced around the room showed that he hadn't really thought of it that way before. It was like he was seeing the room for the first time. "It could use some—"

A grin began spreading over Lex's face. "Some what?"

Grimacing, knowing he'd been caught, Clark continued, "Some…homey touches."

"But it has so much character already," Lex protested, teasing.

Clark reached over and pushed him, hard enough to make Lex tip over, but not enough to make him fall. "Shut up."

…

…

Alien invasions weren't the only thing LexCorp had helped the League to do since buying out LuthorCorp following the death of its CEO. In the four years since Lex had been CEO, five since meeting Clark again, his company had often assisted in rebuilding, clean up, and prevention services after Superman saved the day.

Whenever Superman helped to put out a raging forest fire (which had happened more than two dozen times already, it was like the world was constantly, uncontrollably on fire somewhere), LexCorp planted thousands of new trees and funded conservation programs and research designed to prevent future fires.

When Superman used his breath and the help of the Green Lantern to stop a tsunami from destroying miles and miles of Pacific coastline, LexCorp personally sent hundreds of rescue aid workers to communities that had been affected before the heroes arrived. There was a promising idea on how to stop tsunamis from ever making landfall coming out of South Africa and LexCorp gave the man behind it the financial support necessary to try and prove his theory, or come up with better ones.

When landslides nearly destroyed entire villages and their farmland and herds, and Superman was the only thing that stopped that devastation, LexCorp followed close behind, designing new ways to support and strengthen the sides of mountains and cliffs. The technology was used even in places where landslides weren't common, but where the necessary elements for one existed.

There had been a viral outbreak that spread worldwide in days. The Justice League had formally requested LexCorp's help on stopping it, knowing that Lex had the best labs and scientists on the planet and could get results fast. It had taken a week, and thousands of people had died, but then the antivirus was ready and the Justice League – as well as LexCorp jets – was zipping around the planet delivering the medicine to everyone infected. It was then available as a vaccine for future generations for an affordable price.

The Justice League – minus Superman – wasn't always excited about LexCorp's interventions. Some members (most usually Green Arrow, Lex's old bully Oliver) suggested that Lex was causing these natural disasters himself so that he could then turn a profit on the technology and science created afterward. They weren't the only ones. Lex remembered a press conference he'd had to hold to dispel similar ideas from the general public. It was an event that Clark had found amusing.

"While it is true that LexCorp technologies are created and sold after these disasters, the profits earned are not substantial enough to justify the loss of life and property the disasters themselves cause."

"If LexCorp isn't causing these disasters, then how come you're able to respond to them so quickly?"

"LexCorp simply follows the actions of the Justice League closely and, like the League, responds to crises in the best way it can. For heroes, rushing in and using physical force is usually the way. They deal with events as they are developing or after they've happened. LexCorp's goal is to prevent these disasters from happening at all, so when we respond, it's with products that work to make the world safer for people both today and in the future."

"If your reasons are so humanitarian, why not just donate the products and technology to people in need, rather than sell it for a profit?"

"We may be trying to save the world, Ms. Lane, but LexCorp is still a company, and companies have to make money or they stop working."

Still, Lex would've thought the League knew better, since they knew Superman and Superman was Lex's friend. Lex was even allowed to attend League meetings from time to time. It wasn't as if he were sneaking around in their systems, trying to collect data on their strengths and weaknesses and spying on their every move. He wasn't Batman, after all.

…

…

Leaning back in his chair, Lex sighed. It wasn't an unhappy sound. In fact, Lex was in high spirits. He was almost done with all the work he'd planned for the day, so he would actually finish up early. That would leave him plenty of time to make sure everything was prepared for tonight.

Tonight.

Lex spun his chair around and looked out through the wall of windows behind his desk. While Lionel Luthor had placed his office on the side of the Tower that afforded him the best view of the city, so he could appear to rule over it like an emperor simply by standing near the glass during a meeting, Lex had renovated the LuthorCorp Towers when they'd changed owners. Lex Luthor's office was directly opposite The Daily Planet, the tallest building in Metropolis.

The news had reported this as a ploy to make himself seem trustworthy, always in the eye of the press. It didn't matter that the tinting on the windows and the distance and the security on the Tower meant that no one from The Daily Planet building could see inside Lex's office without high tech spy gear – or x-ray vision. People still had an image of Lex as either more trustworthy than his father, or somehow more sneaky if he could get away with things while under that much scrutiny.

The real reason he'd moved his office was because Lex wanted to be close to Clark. From his office, Lex could see the bullpen where Clark did most of his work for the paper. The pane of glass directly behind Lex's desk was actually a touch screen, subtly hidden in plain sight. Though Lex could see Clark's desk with his naked eye, a simple adjustment to the touch screen would activate a camera positioned outside and Lex could zoom in for a better look. Clark had made him promise to never use the camera to spy on what Clark or anyone else was working on, and that was easy enough to follow. Lex only used the camera to watch Clark when he was feeling particularly smitten.

Clark sometimes left sticky notes on the window by his desk for Lex to read later. They held comments like 'Mom says you looked too skinny on the news last night' or 'Smallville Saturday?' or the time and location of a date for that evening or the general location of a hero-related action and a frowny face, which told Lex he'd left to save someone and would be late. Sometimes, if Clark was simply feeling goofy, he put up notes that just had emojis on them, or he 'tricked' Lex into looking at a note that only had the word 'Giraffe' on it, or 'Bubbles.'

If Lex wasn't expecting anyone to visit his office that day, he'd respond with similar notes. 'I'm not skinny. I'm lean.' or a responding emoji or 'Spying on me again? Such a villain.' It was fun. It was flirty.

Which brought Lex back to tonight. It had been years since Lex started working with the League, and it had been clear for most of that time that Clark found Lex as attractive as Lex found Clark. That was why, according to the Flash, the League sometimes doubted Superman's faith in Lex.

"I don't know. It's just hard to trust the judgment of someone who's sleeping with, well, not 'the enemy,' but, you know, the person under suspicion."

"Wh-Lex and I aren't sleeping together!"

"Dude, it's fine, we already kn-Wait, are you serious?"

Shortly after that conversation, Lex had asked Clark out. Officially. He wanted to date. Clark had been skeptical, not sure how Lex and Superman could have a relationship. In hindsight, Lex probably should've waited until Clark was wearing his street clothes before asking, but oh well.

"I wasn't asking Superman," Lex told him. "I was asking Clark Kent, the mild mannered reporter and small town farm boy."

Tonight was the one year anniversary of them dating. Luckily, it seemed that Lex would have plenty of time to make sure everything was perfect.

Through the window, Lex gazed down on his boyfriend. Clark looked the same at thirty-three as he had at twenty-seven when he'd saved Lex. Hell, he looked almost exactly the same as he had at seventeen, stopping Lex from running away from home. Big, brawny, and beautiful.

Clark was writing something down on paper. He often wrote things down on paper and then typed them up. Doing both, he rationalized, meant he had to take time and think about what he was writing, and allowed him to edit himself better than simply skimming over errors on the computer screen alone. Lex just liked watching him work and didn't care about the whys.

While Lex was watching, Clark's head snapped up. After the briefest pause, he said something to Lois in the desk across from him. She waved him off lazily, focusing on her own computer and the phone pressed between her ear and shoulder, and then Clark was jumping up and hurrying from the room.

Ah. A hero thing. Whatever it was would likely end up being the subject of Clark's next published article in the paper. Maybe even without Lois sharing his byline.

Lex reached up to his ear and pressed the back of the earpiece there. It functioned like a Bluetooth usually, but not now. "Do you need any help on this one?" he asked calmly into the secure line.

There was a moment of quiet, then, _"If you give me any more gadgets, Lex, people are going to start calling me Batman."_

Chuckling, Lex responded, "I'm just trying to make sure you're ready for any scenario."

" _If I didn't know better, I'd think you were the one under the cowl instead of Bruce,"_ Clark teased.

Lex hummed, considering what that would be like. Playing the foolish playboy during the day and prowling the dark streets of Gotham bringing fear to all during the night. "I like the sun too much to be a dark knight."

The pause that followed told Lex that Clark caught on that Lex wasn't talking about the physical sun.

" _It-This thing, it isn't too bad. I'll be back in time for tonight,"_ Clark said, barely stumbling over his words.

It had been long enough since Clark disappeared from the bullpen for Lex to know that Clark was now bolting through the sky somewhere. He still never caught sight of Clark leaving from the Planet rooftop, and he made sure no LexCorp Tower cameras ever pointed at it just in case.

"Good, because I've got plans."

" _What kind of plans?"_ Clark sounded mildly concerned, but not upset.

Lex had a tendency to go…well, Clark would say overboard, when making plans. His plans usually involved large gifts or gestures to prove his feelings, like paying off the debt on Kent Farm for Clark's mom, or blacklisting someone who made a discriminatory comment at Clark during a gala, or fifteen dozen roses delivered to the Planet just because he'd been thinking about Clark, or-

Chuckling, Lex said, "Nothing extravagant. I promise. Hopefully memorable, but not extravagant."

The smile was clear in Clark's voice as he said, _"Okay. I trust you."_

Lex loved hearing Clark say that. His father had never trusted Lex at his word. The Justice League doubted him from time to time, even. Throughout his formative years, people had betrayed Lex at every opportunity, and he'd used them in turn to get whatever it was he wanted – usually drugs or sex or connections to companies to help him against his father. But now he was in his late twenties and he had the trust of the world's most predominant superhero, and his own personal savior.

Sometimes Lex was struck dumb by how much he loved Clark Kent. Someday soon, he'd have to tell that to Clark. Hm, maybe tonight. Yes, tonight sounded good.

…

…

Diana Prince was well known as Wonder Woman. There was no secret identity there. The press outside of the Luthor family mansion were having a field day asking her a million and two questions. How did she meet Lex? Were they close? Was he telling the truth about being a good man or was it all a cover up? Was he secretly part of the Justice League? Was she dating Superman? Batman? The Flash? Would any other Amazons be joining the party with her?

It was pleasing just to watch her ward them off, using only her voice, and head inside. Lex couldn't hear a word she said from across the room, but the completely flummoxed looks on the faces of the reporters was enough for him.

"Is this the point where I'm meant to congratulate you or something?"

Turning from his entertainment, Lex frowned at Oliver Queen. "I'm not sure what you're referring to, but I feel I have to point out that wearing green might draw too much attention to certain facts about your personal life, Queen."

Oliver glared at him briefly, but visibly shook the comment off. "I'm referring to your birthday, obviously," he said with too much joy and admiration to ever be believed truthful. Gesturing around the room, he said, "Thirty years old and you've managed to prove me wrong."

It would've hurt Lex to ask what on Earth Oliver was talking about, so he was glad that the billionaire playboy continued on his own.

"You run your own, successful company; you help superheroes save the world and get to take all the credit for it," two things that Lex was now certain Oliver resented him for, "and you've finally found friends who aren't only around you because they think you're dying of cancer. Hell, more than friends," he finished with a sly, and frankly too-close-to-bedroom-eyes-for-comfort, wink and smile.

While Lex wasn't sure that he'd call the Justice League his friends, they were definitely closer than associates by now. It only took helping to save the world a few times before it started to sink in that they all genuinely enjoyed each other's company.

Well, except Batman.

And Lex and Oliver would probably never be friends. That was just a given. "I'm not sure this is the moment to congratulate me for that, but nevertheless, I accept," Lex said, raising his champagne glass briefly and taking another sip in mock toast.

Oliver was frowning again, but he didn't seem displeased with Lex this time. His eyes ran over Lex from head to toe and back up again, as if his sudden wrong-footed-ness could be explained in Lex's appearance. Lex was looking frankly fabulous in his tailored black on black pinstriped suit and lilac colored shirt, so he didn't mind the scrutiny.

On the return trip to Lex's face, glancing at Lex's left hand holding a glass of champagne, Oliver let out an "Oh." Then, with more feeling, " _Oh._ "

"Is something the matter?" Lex asked.

Oliver shook his head, grinning like the cat that got the canary. Lex hated that look on Oliver Queen's face. "Not in the least, Mr. _Luthor_." Before Lex could question him on the strange emphasis on Lex's last name, Oliver downed his entire glass of champagne, said, "Enjoy your night," and scurried away. He almost immediately found a busty blonde to talk to.

There would be a time and a place for discovering exactly what made Oliver Queen tick. The night of Lex's thirtieth birthday party was not it.

…

…

Mercy, Lex's personal bodyguard, informed him that, from the hundreds of guests at the party, Lex had received a matching hundreds of gifts. They were all being scanned eight ways to Sunday and then stored in one of the rarely used guest rooms until a more convenient time for unwrapping.

It was as he was leaving Mercy to her business that Lex spotted Bruce Wayne. Okay, to be fair, Lex spotted Clark Kent _talking_ to Bruce Wayne. That was both billionaire playboys accounted for then.

Bruce had two women with him, one hanging on each arm, both of them brunette but not related. Clark was mostly turned away from Lex and was making emphatic hand gestures toward Bruce. Lex wondered how he could learn what subject they were discussing that had Clark so impassioned so that he could bring it up again later. He loved when Clark got passionate about things.

As Lex watched, both women reached out – at separate times – to place a hand on Clark's shoulder, each of them saying something that was obviously meant to calm Clark down or agree with what he was saying. Lex vowed to practice lip reading, because all he caught was Bruce saying, "Listen to them, Clark."

Listen to what?

"Happy birthday, Lex."

Lex's gaze broke from Bruce and Clark, sliding over to the red headed woman now standing at his shoulder. He smiled. "Mrs. Kent. It's good to see you." And he pulled her into a hug. "I'm glad you could make it."

She smiled. "I wouldn't miss your thirtieth, Lex." Martha Kent reached up and touched him gently on the cheek – one of the few people allowed to touch Lex so boldly. "You've come a long way."

"CEO of the largest international corporation, including Wayne Industries," Lex agreed.

Shaking her head, Martha corrected him. "You accomplished that years ago. I meant from the boy my son found in a field during a meteor shower." She clasped his hands. "I'm not sure we ever told you this, but we tried to find you afterward."

Lex frowned. "You did? Why?" He was just a random boy. Or maybe they'd known he was a Luthor and wanted money? But no, that wasn't the Kent way.

"Clark was worried about you," Martha revealed. "It was the first time he'd been injured himself, when the green rocks came down that year, and he wasn't sure if he'd done enough to protect you. But no one would tell us anything about you. We asked around the hospital but all they'd say was that the boy's father had checked him out."

A nod. "My father was never a fan of small town medicine. He had me taken back to Metropolis and hired a few dozen doctors to try and find out why I'd lost all my hair," Lex told her, refusing to touch his own head at the memory.

A look of sympathy crossed Martha's face, but she wiped it away quickly, knowing Lex didn't like pity. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that I'm glad Clark was there the day of the meteor shower, and that I'm proud of the man you've become."

If that was the only gift Martha gave him that night, it would be more than enough.

In the few years since Lex and Clark had met again, Martha had treated Lex like her own child. She was Lex's second mother. It was fitting that she was a lot like Lex's birth mother – red hair, kind face, always telling him he could do wonderful things with his life. She'd become even more motherly when he and Clark became a couple. Lex was definitely okay with that.

Clark's father didn't trust Lex for over a year, claiming he was just like his father and would betray Clark the minute they let their guards down. He and Lex warmed up to each other though, and Lex was sad when he died last year.

"Thank you, Martha," Lex said quietly, giving the shorter woman a tight hug.

"I brought some baked goods with me. Mercy said she'd put them in your bedroom for later," Martha said as they pulled apart. "I think she stole a muffin first though."

Lex chuckled. Martha Kent could make even Mercy Graves break the rules with her baking. "I bet she did."

…

…

"Clark. Clark. Clark, where are you-Why are you dragging me from my own party?" Lex complained, his arm held firmly but not painfully in Clark's hand. Normally, Lex could have at least put up a fight, but not at the moment. He was just drunk enough that he lacked the necessary strength to pull away.

Clark walked them out of the grand hall and up the stairs, past catering staff and mansion household staff and guests looking for somewhere a little quieter to rest for a minute. He didn't stop until they reached Lex's bedroom. Upon entering, the first thing Lex noticed was the box on the side table. Martha's baked goods.

Standing his ground before the wall of muscle that was the Man of Steel, Lex demanded, "What's going on, Clark?"

Clark looked down at him with green eyes edging into blue. "I don't know, Lex, you tell me."

"What are you talking about?"

Clark crossed his arms, then uncrossed them immediately. He didn't want to seem intimidating. He was trying to be open and accepting. It was something Lex and he had talked about. Clark was always going to be strong enough to intimidate or hurt Lex, so Clark did his best to never use his physical bulk or might to coerce compliance from Lex.

"In the past hour, you've had more to drink than in the four before it," Clark explained. "Something is bothering you and I want to know what it is."

Oh.

Lex glanced away, to the window with floor to ceiling glass doors where Clark sometimes flew in if Lex was staying at the mansion rather than the penthouse. This was embarrassing. "My father was right. I failed."

Frowning in confusion, Clark asked, "Failed at what, exactly?"

Lex shook his head. "Your mother talked to me tonight."

"….I saw…Did she say anything bad?"

"No," Lex assured him. "She said she was proud of the man I've become, of how far I've come. And Oliver asked if he should congratulate me on the company's successes."

"I don't see how any of that could make you drink like this," Clark said.

Sighing, Lex moved to sit on the bed, next to the table with the box of baked goods on it. "Alexander the Great had conquered the world by thirty."

Clark didn't join him on the bed, but he did step closer. "I remember. You said your dad named you Alexander so you'd also be great, right?"

A nod. "But let's be honest, Clark. You and the Justice League are closer to ruling the world than I ever will be." He motioned out the window. "You have a watchtower, orbiting the Earth, where you can literally watch over the planet. And with your powers, you could easily take over any country. Every country. I'm the CEO of a company. A successful, multinational company, but just a company. I'm never going to rule the world." Lex held his head in his hands and stared at the floor. "I'm a failure."

For a few moments, the bedroom was silent. It was because Lex was right, he knew. Clark didn't know how to comfort the truth out of him. Lex was thirty and he wasn't the President of the United States of America, or even in control of all of Metropolis, or Kansas, or anything except his own company. Alexander the Great had conquered the world at Lex's age. He was remembered as one of the greatest military generals and greatest leaders in history. Lex was distressed by his own shortcomings.

And so Lex drank. It was a problem. He was working on it, okay?

"Since when have you wanted to rule the world, Lex?" Clark asked, sounding concerned.

And Lex had convinced Clark that he was secretly a megalomaniac intent on world domination. Goddammit, he should've worked on this drinking thing before now, before he was thirty.

"I don't," Lex said, though he wasn't sure it was convincing. "It's…My father made sure I knew everything about Alexander the Great's successes, his campaigns, his leadership, so that I knew what I had to live up to. He used to mention it all the time. I just…I haven't accomplished anything like that."

Now Clark sat next to him on the bed. He wrapped his arm around Lex and said, "You're a hero, Lex." Lex scoffed. "You help the Justice League all the time. You've literally saved millions of lives with the stuff your company makes. And your company, LexCorp, is bigger and better than your father could've ever accomplished. You've done a lot."

All of that was true, Lex had to admit. He had done all of that. He wouldn't call himself a hero, not like Clark and Diana and Barry, but he did help. Still, his father's words echoed in his mind. A failure of a son. A disgrace. Weak. Lex had grown up with that, had heard it up until the day his father died. Couldn't he at least succeed at one thing his father pressed for him to do?

"But Alexander-"

"Was also dead by thirty-two, Lex. I'm not sure using him a model for your life is the best plan."

A model for Lex's life.

"I modeled my life after you," Lex murmured.

The arm around his shoulders tensed. "What?"

Lex raised his voice and lowered his arms, but didn't look away from the floor. "The day of the meteor shower, I saw you in the hospital. Your parents were worried because the kryptonite had made you weaker than you'd ever been. And you said…Yes, you were weak now, but you were sure it wasn't permanent. You said the weakness would leave and you would be stronger than ever afterward." A deep breath. "That's what I modeled my life after."

Even as he explained, the voice of Lex's father was fading. That's right. Lex had fought against his father's expectations his entire life. He'd purposefully done exactly the opposite of what his father wanted whenever possible. He rebelled. He decided, from a young age, that he was going to follow his own dreams, listen to his own wishes, and become someone stronger and better than his father.

It was amazing how something Clark had said in passing, not even to Lex himself, could lift Lex's spirits over twenty years later. Those words shaped Lex's entire world. _Clark_ shaped Lex's entire world.

Clark appeared to be having trouble breathing. "Yo-you…You based your life…on…on that? On _me_?"

His tone of voice was unmistakable. Clark was used to people telling Superman that he'd changed their lives, saved their lives without ever meeting them. He wasn't used to people saying that to Clark Kent.

Nodding, Lex said, "The idea that I was weak, but I could be stronger…It helped me through a lot of my life."

The fact that he still _cared_ what his father wanted…It was nigh impossible for Lex to conquer the world. The world was much bigger now than it had been when Alexander the Great had controlled it. Even if that had been what Lex wanted out of life, it was unattainable. He would've run himself into the ground trying, and taken everyone around him down with him.

Clark slid off the bed to kneel between Lex's knees. He grabbed Lex's hands gently, prodding Lex to look at him. "Clark?"

Taking a deep breath, Clark said, "Alexander Joseph Luthor." He met Lex's eyes. "You are amazing. You believed in me, saw me as a hero long before I ever considered myself one. You inspired me when you were young, and you still inspire me today. You make me a better person. You make me…human. You're the most important person in my life and I love you."

He released Lex's left hand so he could reach into the pocket of his tux. From within its confines, Clark pulled a small velvet box. Lex's heart stopped.

"What are you doing?" Lex asked in a whisper.

Clark smiled. "I'm conquering the world," he said, confident but quiet.

Lex gaped at him. Conquering the…

With just the one free hand, Clark maneuvered a simple, white gold ring from the velvet box. Letting the box hit the carpeted floor, Clark held the ring between them and looked up at Lex again.

"You are my world, Lex," he said. "Am I your world too? Are you going to conquer it, or run away? Will you marry me?"

It was a silly turn of phrase. Conquer the world. They weren't the world. They were people. But Clark was trying to help Lex achieve the thing that was bothering him, even though he didn't have to. He was using this proposal as a way for Lex to finally overcome the last memories of his father.

Lex clearly didn't tell Clark he loved him nearly often enough. This might require buying Clark his own island, or single-handedly funding the side projects of everyone at the Planet for a few years, or research into helping Clark not be the last of his race. That last one sounded especially intriguing.

He clenched Clark's hand in his own.

"Yes. Yes I will."

…

…

It wasn't until hours later, looking at the glint of white gold on his left ring finger, that Oliver's odd behavior at the party made sense to Lex. That washout had known Clark was going to propose! And come to think of it, Clark's nervous behavior with Bruce made more sense now too.

The whole League knew didn't they? Lex would be getting side-eyed and sly congratulations for weeks.

Goddammit. Superheroes.

_Fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been 6 years since Smallville stopped airing, and closer to 15 since I kept up with the show (random episode binges in recent times notwithstanding). I split this story into chapters to make the time skips seem more natural, and I didn't expect much of a response at all. As I told my beta, "I'm coming to the party 15 years late and I didn't even bring Starbucks."
> 
> So to the 3 people who have commented so far, and the people who gave me my 23 kudos and 5 bookmarks up to this point, thank you so very very much. It's nice to know people are still reading Smallville fics even so long after the series is over, and that I'm not too late to join the party.


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